Young’s Literal Translation

Ruth 3

1 And Naomi her mother-in-law saith to her, ‘My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest, that it may be well with thee?

2 and now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women thou hast been? lo, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley to-night,

3 and thou hast bathed, and anointed thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and gone down to the threshing-floor; let not thyself be known to the man till he complete to eat and to drink;

4 and it cometh to pass when he lieth down, that thou hast known the place where he lieth down, and hast gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down, — and he doth declare to thee that which thou dost do.’

5 And she saith unto her, ‘All that thou sayest — I do.’

6 And she goeth down [to] the threshing-floor, and doth according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her

7 And Boaz eateth and drinketh, and his heart is glad; and he goeth in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she cometh in gently, and uncovereth his feet, and lieth down.

8 And it cometh to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembleth, and turneth himself, and lo, a woman is lying at his feet.

9 And he saith, ‘Who [art] thou?’ and she saith, ‘I [am] Ruth thy handmaid, and thou hast spread thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou [art] a redeemer.’

10 And he saith, ‘Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah, my daughter; thou hast dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning — not to go after the young men, either poor or rich.

11 And now, my daughter, fear not, all that thou sayest I do to thee, for all the gate of my people doth know that thou [art] a virtuous woman.

12 And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.

13 Lodge to night, and it hath been in the morning, if he doth redeem thee, well: he redeemeth; and if he delight not to redeem thee, then I have redeemed thee — I; Jehovah liveth! lie down till the morning.’

14 And she lieth down at his feet till the morning, and riseth before one doth discern another; and he saith, ‘Let it not be known that the woman hath come into the floor.’

15 And he saith, ‘Give the covering which [is] on thee, and keep hold on it;’ and she keepeth hold on it, and he measureth six [measures] of barley, and layeth [it] on her; and he goeth into the city.

16 And she cometh in unto her mother-in-law, and she saith, ‘Who [art] thou, my daughter?’ and she declareth to her all that the man hath done to her.

17 And she saith, ‘These six [measures] of barley he hath given to me, for he said, Thou dost not go in empty unto thy mother-in-law.’

18 And she saith, ‘Sit still, my daughter, till thou dost know how the matter falleth, for the man doth not rest except he hath completed the matter to-day.’